Photos: Punch Bowl Social

The bumper sticker is popping up all over Baker, along with the number of bumpers now heading into one of Denver's most eclectic neighborhoods since the recent opening of the sprawling Punch Bowl Social:

"Keep LoDo Off Broadway."

The face of any hip neighborhood is always changing; that's part of what makes it hip. But Baker, which has avoided the same fiscal cliff that has left much of Denver economically dangling for the past decade, just got more than a face-lift. It got a whole new face.

The Punch Bowl is bringing up to 900 more people into a thriving, independent shopping and entertainment strip that takes pride in being the anti-LoDo.

"This isn't just a little change," said Jim Norris, co-owner of the nearby 3 Kings bar and rock club. "This is a drastic change."

And it's a change that promises both headaches and opportunities for business owners and the residents who densely populate Baker along both sides of Broadway.

The Baker playpen spans roughly six blocks of Broadway from the Mayan Theatre (at First Avenue) south to Gary Lee's restaurant near Alameda Avenue. And every time you blink, something is different. The lineup of funky, home-grown specialty shops now includes the Artemisia & Rue herbal alchemy, a "natural pet store" called Paws and a new coffee shop named Happy. Both an Illegal Pete's and an ale house called New Historians are in the works.

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Let's go bowling. (Photos by AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

But despite being locally owned, the Punch Bowl represents one of the biggest infusions of bar-based cash into Baker. Located at 65 Broadway, the Punch Bowl offers dining, bowling and game-playing of all sorts in a loud nightclub atmosphere owners will bring to five other major cities in the next two years, starting with Portland. At 24,000 square feet, the Punch Bowl is instantly twice as big as any other entertainment offering in Baker. And that already has altered the character of the neighborhood.

"They're certainly bringing more people to Baker," said Denver City Councilwoman Judy Montero. "And with more people, neighborhoods tend to experience growing pains like parking, noise and increased traffic."

Residents already have successfully lobbied the city's Department of Public Works into studying possible parking restrictions on residential streets, a process that will take several months. The 3 Kings' Norris, who also lives in the neighborhood, said that could make it even harder than it already is for employees and patrons to find places to park. Other residents are more ambivalent about the parking problem because Baker attracts so many habitants who use alternative forms of transportation.

Of greater concern to those proudly outcast denizens who frequent Baker is the type of partier the Punch Bowl will attract. Norris says the LoDo infusion is most noticeable at closing time, when there are now "hundreds of drunk, sweaty dudes ... pouring out into the street at the same time."

But at a time of continued economic malaise, the Punch Bowl brings real economic benefits to the city.

"Bringing in more people can mean bringing more investment and vibrant activity to neighborhoods that have otherwise been relatively dormant," said Montero. "Depending on who you talk to, some may feel this is a good thing or a bad thing."

Baker residents Gloria Shanstrom and Andrew Johnsen say, "Good thing." The value of Shanstrom's Baker home has increased by about 83 percent in the past 10 years, she said. And while Johnsen first welcomed news that the long-abandoned Big Lots store was to become a Sunflower Market, "the Punch Bowl is a welcome addition," he said, "as it will continue to attract the skinniest jeans anyone has ever seen this far inland."

Baker resident Brian Freeland says, "Bad thing." The "Toilet Bowl," as he calls it, adds little to the neighborhood. "I was out on Saturday night, and I didn't recognize my own neighborhood," he said. "Go Sushi decided to up the (jerk) factor by adding outdoor speakers to thump out their smooth version of 'techno.' I miss the days when the gays and punks would scare off the tourists."

But the story of Baker could easily be the story of Highlands. Or RiNo. The universal thing about neighborhoods is what constitutes the good old days depends on when you got there.

"The neighborhood has changed quite a bit since I've lived here," said Baker resident Evan Weissman. "We've lost some of the used bookstores and sex shops and gained some restaurants and boutique shops. We've still got dive bars and tattoo shops, and they work just fine next to trendy restaurants and craft stores."

And while Punch Bowl is taking a few punches for the changes it has brought, the trend toward a bigger Baker has actually been underway for several years, including the opening of a new rooftop bar above the Irish Rover that tripled the pub's capacity.

"Do I fear that we are becoming the LoDo on South Broadway? Kind of," said Johnsen. "I do miss the old 'SoBo.' Being completely freaked out when walking into the Brown Barrel with the bright lights fully on ... I'm assuming that was so we'd appreciate the real age of their pickled eggs."

Nostalgia aside, he added, "We know progression is good. Progression brings people, which brings demand, which brings more people who fix up houses and make for a better place to live. Hopefully, we can continue to keep the eclectic nature of the neighborhood. Here's to trying."

Even though Norris fears the Punch Bowl will splinter Baker into two communities — big money and little money — he admits, "There are plenty of positive things, too." Like the possibility the newly wayward LoDo crowd might dare to walk across the street from the Punch Bowl and take a peek inside his own 3 Kings.

Montero is certain a harmony can be achieved. "I think Baker is becoming even more of a thriving and vibrant neighborhood," she said. "At the same time, I see us balancing these changes with preserving the stability of families who have lived in this neighborhood for many generations."

Valerie Alvarado works the activities and entertainment booth at the new entertainment hub on South Broadway.